Sanctuary
by Softrock-showtunesgirlscout22
Summary: SPOILERS POST 5X09. Deacon struggles with what his life means without the love of his life, raising three children, one who might not even remember how much she'd cherished him. Canon sequel for Colide.
1. Chapter 1

**Sanctuary**

 **SPOILERS POST 5X09. Deacon struggles with what his life means without the love of his life, raising three children, one who might not even remember how much she'd cherished him. Canon sequel for Colide.**

 **A/N: So, here's my take on what happens next with little Robert James Claybourne thrown in the mix. Let me know your thoughts!**

 **Chapter 1:**

 _ **Previously on Nashville...**_

 _"Hey, we been waiting on you." He turned to watch Daphne and Robbie smiling,_

 _"Baby, what happened?" He heard her sobbing softly. "Rayna, what is it, sweetie?" His heart sank. "Something terrible happened. But it's okay, I'm okay. I'm okay... I'm coming home."_

 _"Come home, baby."_

* * *

 _"We got a 47-year-old : post high-speed motor vehicle collision. Blood pressure 90 over 45. Heart rate of 118. Patient was found unconscious with a crush injury to her pelvis and proximal femur. Okay, let's send out for a trauma panel. And type and cross for four."_

 _"Oh, my God."_

 _"Is there a problem, Dickenson?"_

 _"That's Rayna James."_

 _"one, two, three, lift! There's no time for autographs, people. Let's move!"_

* * *

Meanwhile...

"But daddy!" Robbie climbed up and down of his parent's bed for the fifth time in the night. Deacon loved those pouts more than anything but he was sure he'd have to see eye to eye with Rayna if Robbie was awake when she got home. "I'm not sleepy!"

"No, but daddy is," Deacon sighed, hell, maybe he was too old to be dealing with a hyperactive toddler. "Tell you what, you can stay here with me till mama comes home." Robbie's eyes lighted up. "Just..."

"Kay!" The little boy piped in. "Can you play a song daddy?"

"I guess there's no harm in it," Deacon sighed. He sat on the side of the bed, Robbie tucked in Rayna's side of the bed. Deacon began playing 'Believing' as his child looked on, charmed by it, much like Maddie had been when he played for her as a child. Now that he'd thought about it, Robbie was just like Maddie had been, he'd been stupid for not figuring out she was his sooner, maybe his relationship would be... different, better.

"Dad?" Maddie entered the room as he stop playing. "Can I..."

"No!" Robbie pouted. "Maddie play with daddy, you're the bestest too." he said with a toothy grin. Maddie smiled, she then said she'd be going out and had no time to play with Deacon. That hurt.

"Where you goin'?"

"Movies with Clay, I asked mom earlier, she said it was okay."

"Alright, don't be late though, it's a school night."

"Noted, good night munchkin'" Maddie ruffled her little brother's hair softly. "You keep Dad company," Deacon smiled softly as she said her goodbyes and goodnight to him too.

"Maddie?" Deacon asked.

"Yeah?"

"Stay safe, I love you."

"Love you too Dad,"

Robbie had almost drifted completely off when Deacon's phone buzzed, he cursed under his breath, they better not wake him up.

"Hello?"

* * *

He'd called Maddie with what little composure he had, Rayna had been in an accident and she had been rushed to the hospital, he scrambled to find Scarlett's number and dialed. Daphne had stayed late practicing for her concert and he needed her to get the young girl, as for Robbie, he had called Tammy, his sitter and begged her to come as soon as possible.

 _This couldn't be happening._

"How's she doing?" Deacon asked as soon as he got to the hospital and met with the doctor, Rayna was alive, alive but hangin' by a thread.

"She's pretty banged up. Her CT shows a shattered pelvis and hip. The good news is that she doesn't appear to have any blood in her brain. We've got our top ortho coming in. We're having to get her into surgery as soon as possible.

"Is she in pain?"

"No. We've got her on a morphine drip. So she's resting comfortably now."

"Thank you." He took a minute to look at his wife, the mother of his children. "Oh Ray..."

* * *

"Daddy?" Robbie opened his eyes to an empty room. "Mamma?"

"Shh, it's alright Robbie." A familiar voice told him quietly. Tammy.

"Where's Daddy?"

"He had to go out sweetie, asked me to stay over,"

"Is Maddie in trouble again?" He asked curiously. The last time Tammy had stayed over Maddie had come home.

"No, she's fine." Tammy had asked Deacon how much she could actually tell Robbie, not much, he'd told her. He didn't want to alarm the little boy, Robbie was extremely emotional. "Now you gotta get back into bed and back to sleep alright?"

"Then why she on TV?" Robbie asked suddenly.

* * *

 **Sorry for the short chapter guys! Obviously, I took some actual dialogue from the ep. What did you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sanctuary**

 **Here's chapter two. Still taking some dialogue from from the actual ep. Please give it a try guys!**

 **I don't own anything.**

 **Chapter 2**

He'd come to find her awake. She looked pretty beat up. His heart sank. Why couldn't have been him?

"Can you believe this?" She said softly at the sight of him.

"Police car"

"Yeah. You don't remember being in it when the police officer drove you? She's okay. She hardly got a scratch."

"The lady officer? Bless her heart. I just remember the, um... Carl... Wayne person. He was waving a knife at me for an eternity.

" I'm so sorry about that guy. At me". "Where are the kids?"

"They're coming, honey. The girls are on their way. And I asked Tammy to bring Robbie too."

"Well, look who is all up and talking." A nurse said kindly, Rayna of course couldn't take her eyes off her husband.

"Have you ever seen anybody as handsome as this person right here?" she said touching Deacon's face softly making him chuckle.

" Well, I'd say he's a cutie pie." She replied.

"Plays a mean guitar too." Rayna told her.

"And here's the other man of my dreams." Deacon turned around to see Tammy holding a nervous Robbie. "Come here sweet one."

"Don't be afraid buddy, mama is alright." Deacon echoed as Tammy handed the little boy to his father.

"So handsome too ain't he?" Rayna asked the nurse again.

"Looks like his daddy, there's no denying that." She answered.

"Mama?"

"What baby?"

"Does it hurt?" Robbie asked as he stayed on Deacon's lap. Rayna sighed. Last time she'd been in this position she'd found out she was pregnant, her baby and Deacon had survived too.

Her sweet boy, he had Deacon and Maddie's willfulness and Daphne's gift of comfort.

"A bit yeah, but I feel so much better now with you and daddy here."

"I saw Maddie on TV." He said in deep thoughtfulness."She in trouble?"

"Yeah?" Robbie nodded. "Don't worry baby, nothing bad is going to happen to Maddie."

"Cause she's with Clay?"

"Well..." Rayna shot him a look.

"Hey, we said we'd see where that was going," Rayna told him."it's important to Maddie." Rayna felt Robbie's small body leave Deacon's embrace and settle against her.

"Easy buddy." Deacon told him. Rayna breathed in. Her 3 ½ smelled like baby powder and shampoo, and she suspected a bit like his daddy as he more often than not liked to play with his shaving cream. She took in a deep breath, then turned to Deacon.

"Honey, guess what?"

What, baby?

"We are not done yet".

"We're not?

"'Cause you know now with our record? We gotta write another song. "

"We do?

"Yeah, because, you know... it hasn't all just been pain. This one and the girls. They are proof of that."

We gotta write that beautiful story"

* * *

He was glad when Scarlett and Daphne got there. It meant some kind of distraction for him and Robbie equally. He didn't think the little boy could completely process all that was happening but having his big sister there made it so much better. Rayna still held on to their little boy as Daph began asking all these questions, memories of the night he'd found out about Maddie played out in his mind. He began to feel sick.

"Is it crazy that what I really want right now is a cheeseburger?" She asked after she was left with Deacon again. She was a county girl alright.

"All you been through, you deserve a damn cheeseburger."

"I'm starting to remember what happened, the accident and the attack and all that. I think that's the most afraid I've ever been in my whole life. And that's saying a lot. Because I've been through some pretty scary stuff. But what's different now is that you're right here next to me. That's just the sweetest feeling in the whole world."

"Found a vase." Daphne said as she and Robbie came back in. "And some ice cream." She glanced over at her little brother. "Of course someone already finished it," Robbie smiled.

"Really? Was it good?" She asked him. "Come here sweet boy. " Robbie walked slowly. "It's alright, " he cuddled next to her, still a bit unsure. Rayna turned to Daphne.

"Thank you, honey. Those are beautiful." Daphne smiled.

"Is that Bucky out there? "

"Yeah. We got a couple of people out there. But they said they only wanted immediate family in here. The nurse wants you to rest."

"Oh, they could come in and say hi"

"All right."

"You look good, Mom."

"Oh, honey, when'd you get to be such a good liar? Oh, hey, y'all. Bucky, you didn't have to come sit over here all night."

"Of course I did."

"Of course you did."

Bucky bless his heart, he'd been with her trough everything, making her look good even when she didn't deserve it. Scarlett and her sweet heart. Always taking care of everyone. She knew her and Deacon had to finish that song.

And then there was Maddie. She had barely seen her,

"Where's Maddie, y'all?"

"She'll be here soon." Deacon had told her.

* * *

"Mom?" Maddie had finally made it.

"Maddie!" Robbie waved at her. "Mama's got to go sleep." Maddie turned to her mother and then to Deacon.

"There she is."

Hey, my darling. Come here."

"I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. What does he mean you gotta go to sleep?"

We're glad you're here, sweetheart. Mom's about to go into surgery." Deacon could see Maddie struggling, after she ran off Scarlett went after her.

"Maddie?" She heard Daphne asked.

"Is it gonna hurt?" Robbie asked.

"Nope, I'm not gonna even gonna know what happens, I'll be asleep the whole time baby. But you know what could help me? " she looked into those blue eyes of his father's and smile. "I want y'all to pray for me. And sing, sing with Daddy so I can hear you, would you do that for me?" Robbie nodded slowly. "Here, go with Daph now my sweet. I love you." She said goodbye to her children and husband.

Rayna Jaymes wasn't one for giving up. She'd made Deacon promise that and she'd be dammed if she didn't keep that promise too. "I love you."

"Love you." She told him back.

* * *

He'd been worried. They've told him surgery would take at least four hours. Maddie had texted him saying she was with Clay. Deacon could see how similar him and Maddie were and that scared the hell out of him. But he understood, processing all this kind of situation meant a different thing to everyone.

He'd asked Tammy to take Robbie back to the house but Daphne had insisted to stay beside him. And when Rayna woke up, thank the lord, their little girl was there, ready to comfort her.

"This is how I used to get you to nap on tour buses when you were a baby. It was the only way I could you to sleep."

"Really?"

Um-hm. Although, who am I kidding? It was the only way I could get me to sleep."

"What about Dad?"

"Your father got carsick on buses. That's why he never traveled with us. I learned that the hard way on our honeymoon. That was not pretty. You sure you don't want to go to this thing tonight?"

"Yes. It's a stupid concert."

" Don't say that. Don't ever say that, okay? You have a gift, honey. It's your privilege, it's your responsibility to share that with people. And as your mom, there's nothing that gives me greater joy than... watching you do that"

"Okay, geez."

"Okay, geez. Sorry, I love you. I love you too. You know who else loves you?"

" Who?"

" Deacon. I know you haven't always believed that. But I hope you believe it now, D. 'Cause not just for you, but for him too. Y'all need to now... that you can rely on each other."

"Mom..."

" All right. Fine... I will shut up."

* * *

She hadn't realized Deacon had been hearing it all. It was like she was letting her go into her because she believed something was wrong. Oh lord, first all the talk about her mother visiting her. Like he'd told Scarlett, all of it freaked him out. Was she saying goodbye? Would he be left alone to raise three children on his own?

"Deacon?" It was Daphne. "Are you okay?" He'd been sitting on the waiting room again.

"I'm fine. How's your mama?"

"She's better. I think, tried to convince me to go to my concert. I told her I couldn't, specially since Maddie isn't here." The little girl said rolling her eyes.

"Come here." She sat beside him. She'd always liked her uncle Deacon, when she'd go on tour with her mom she'd always managed to take on an adventure with him, never taking Maddie along, them alone and it was one of her favorite things to do. But everything had changed. Deacon was Maddie's dad and Robbie's. But she'd never felt like she'd belonged to Deacon. Until that night as she laid with her mom and promised to try.

For her mom and for Deacon.

* * *

Stupid concert and stupid song. She'd never sing again. She'd sung and her mama had ended up worse she couldn't listen to what the adults were saying as Scarlett had moved her out of the way, but she knew it was bad, by the look on Deacon's face.

"Scary huh?" Her cousin asked. "It'll be alright."

"You've tried Maddie again?"

"Your daddy's trying to get a hold of her." Scarlett said. "She'll be here."

"My mom's gonna die, isn't she?" Daphne asked. "You gotta get Robbie here. " Daphne was crying out loud now, and all Scarlett could do was hold her.

"I will sweetheart. Tammy's coming."

* * *

He'd texted Maddie again. He'd been sick enough to know that maybe Rayna might not have that much time, not awake anyway.

"Deacon?" It was Tammy. "Daphne asked me to bring Robbie over, she said Rayna had been moved to the ICU." She wrapped his arms around him. "Scarlett's got him, is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, not really, Maddie isn't here yet and I'm just afraid..." He turned away from her. He'd noticed the doctors had been called away. "Would you just stay with Scarlett and the kids?"

"Of course." She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. Once she'd left he made his way to the other side of the door.

"You'll have to stop scaring me like that." He said softly as she heard her struggle for breath.

"What's happening?" Ray asked him, he was struggling to answer her back as his voice broke.

"I don't know, sweetie."

"If something happens, you gotta stay strong for the girls. And that sweet boy of ours. You gotta promise me." He'd made her promise something similar not too long ago.

"I can't promise that 'cause you ain't going nowhere." He could hear voices behind him and a hand on his shoulder. "Just promise me."

"I promise baby, I promise." He'd managed to kiss her forehead as tears woudn't let him see clearly.

"I love you Deacon."

"I love you Rayna."

* * *

"She has had multiple emboli that have affected her organs. The system usually clears on its own. But, unfortunately, your wife's just not responding."

"What does that mean?"

"We are artificially supporting her blood pressure at this point. And her organs are failing. I'm sorry. I wish we had better news."

"Is Mom dying?"

"We are doing everything that we can. I usually tell folks to pray for the best. And prepare for the worst. But I promise we will do everything we can to help her pull through."

"No! Please, no!"

Then Juliette has shown up and all hell broke lose.

""Mom? Mom. I'm here, Mom. Mom, I'm here. I'm so sorry." Maddie entered the room. She was sobbing as he held her.

"Hush, baby. She knows, baby. She's always known, sweetie. She knows that. Is there anything else you can do here, please?"

He knew he'd ask Scarlett to take Robbie out of the room. He didn't need fo live trough it all. He'd turned to see the sleeping boy.

* * *

He'd figured there wasn't much more to be done when they let him and the kids see her, Robbie was barely awake as Daphne hummed a song it was really touching and so heartbreaking.

"Daddy?" He looked over at Deacon. "When she waking up?" Deacon sighed

"We don't know bud, she needs her rest." Daphne said as he moved to gesture on Deacon's arms, he laid his head back "wanna come with me for a second?"

"No!" He pushed back in time, against his daddy's chest. "Wanna sit with mama then? She's gonna love it to have you there with her." Robbie bit his lip. His mama had never looked so, sleepy. He didn't understand any of it. "Bub?"

He waved his head. "Brave."

"What, sweetie?" His daddy said.

"Be brave Robbie," The little boy said, struggling with the r. Deacon kissed his forehead. "And you are baby, " Robbie closed his eyes as he rocked the little boy to sleep. "Mama loves you."

* * *

 **What did you think? Please review**!


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